post reports theyemenigovernmenttriedto hide u.s. responsibility for the attack by taking credit for carrying it out. the yemeni government also initially claimed only militants were killed in the strike, or forced to withdraw that claim after mourners tried to bring the dead bodies to the gates of the presidential residence. according to the washington post, the attack has devastated the community and militants in surrounding areas have gained more recruits for their fight against the u.s.-backed yemeni government since it occurred. diplomatic cables released by wikileaks in 2010 show the u.s. and yemen have repeatedly covered up the use of u.s. warplanes to bomb yemen. according to the bureau of investigative journalism, covert u.s. operations have killed up to 171 civilians there including 35 children over the past decade. a top syrian general responsible for preventing military defections has defected himself to syria's opposition brigit major-general abdul al-shallal, the head of syria's military police, crossed into neighboring turkey and a daring break with the regime of s